The Federal Government has assured federal public servants that the outstanding wage award will be paid before the middle of August, while promotion arrears are also being processed as part of efforts to fulfil commitments made to workers.
The assurance was given during a meeting between the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and the leadership of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Trade Side, led by its National President, Kabiru Minjibir.
Speaking at the meeting, Oyedele said the government remains committed to honouring all agreements reached with organised labour.
“When government makes commitments, it delivers. We are not in the habit of making promises that cannot be fulfilled. Where there are outstanding issues, we will give realistic timelines and ensure they are implemented,” the minister said.
He disclosed that the approvals required for the payment of the outstanding wage award were being finalised and expressed confidence that eligible workers would begin receiving the funds before mid-August.
Oyedele also confirmed that outstanding promotion arrears are receiving attention, with pending batches currently being processed in line with established procedures.
The minister directed relevant government officials to review documents submitted by the JPSNC, work with the appropriate Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and fast-track action on unresolved labour-related issues.
While acknowledging concerns over delays in implementing some agreements, he assured workers that the administration would continue to build trust through transparency, regular engagement and prompt action.
“Our objective is to build a system where issues are resolved proactively. We want workers to have confidence that once government gives its word, it will honour that commitment,” he added.
Earlier, JPSNC President Kabiru Minjibir commended the minister for meeting with the delegation and urged the Federal Government to expedite the payment of the outstanding wage award, promotion arrears, salary relativity issues affecting health workers and other pending labour matters.
According to him, timely implementation of these commitments would strengthen industrial harmony and boost workers’ confidence in the administration.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Raymond Omachi, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working closely with organised labour to ensure approved workers’ entitlements are processed without unnecessary delays.
The Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Mohammed Danjuma, disclosed that Batch 7 promotion arrears, which were omitted during an earlier payment exercise, are now being processed alongside Batch 9. He added that discussions are also ongoing with relevant MDAs to resolve issues relating to the Peculiar Allowance and other outstanding labour concerns.
Providing an update on the payment process, Director of Cash Management, Christiana Osho, said reconciliation of the outstanding wage award had been completed and that the release of funds was at the final stage.
She explained that eligible public servants would begin receiving the wage award once the funds are released, while payment of promotion arrears would continue according to the approved schedule.
Both the Federal Government and the JPSNC reaffirmed their commitment to sustained dialogue and collaboration to ensure the timely resolution of outstanding labour issues and maintain industrial harmony across the federal public service.
The meeting followed a statement issued by the Head of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Efe Ovuakporie, who said the government had already begun addressing many of the issues raised by organised labour even before receiving its formal communication.
